2b4me

Hi! How are things in Fort Mac? I'm a born and raised Albertan! How are you feeling? I hope all is great with you. Thanks very much for the tips. And, yes! the carry-on is a must. It's also so helpful that you spoke of the post surgery experiences to remind me of what can happen after anaesthetic -- yep, I checked that box too! Could you please tell me, how did you feel after you left the recovery house and flying home? How much were you able to walk? Were you very sore? I ask because my plan is to walk and sit through San Diego Seaworld after I leave TJ. What do you think, please? Thanks so much for your post(s)! Cheryl

Hi Nancy, Thanks for your e-mail. I loved the part about 'and some of them wanted to buy a house'! I hope the next time the realtor comes in, it's with people who make a good offer! While I did think about a resort scenario, I thought I would go on a nice holiday after I reached goal. Staying in San Diego for a couple of days and walking Seaworld is my compromise for now. Guilt is a terrible feeling, isn't it? We feel guilty when we eat too much and then we feel guilty when we want to lose weight but can't -- because we're feeling guilty. Kinda masochistic, isn't it? No matter what decision you make, it will be the right one for you. Please keep me posted... Cheryl

Hi Nancy, It's good to hear from you. Yes, I will post as soon as and as much as I can so I don't forget anything and so you and everyone else who is interested will get up to date information. How are things going for you? Cheryl

Hi Everyone, I've been reading the boards and Holy Smokes! another round of bashing regarding the clinic I'm going to. Yes, it is still Dr Almanza for me as I could not find anything negative about his surgical skills. On the remainder of the service, etc. -- I'm very self reliant so I'm not worried about having to change bandages or getting up and around on my own. Although I hope it's my last, this surgery certainly won't be the first time (actually 4th or 5th) that I've had an IV buddy to wheel around. As long as everyone keeps their promises, I can't see why I wouldn't report back as having a great surgery. I can't wait to be "skinny" for me!

Hi, From what I can see, the extremes of not being hungry to hungry alot, still prevail with the sleeve. Yet, with the sleeve, one cannot eat as much volume as before the sleeve. Is this what you would say, Judy?

Hi and Thanks very much for your post. I'm glad to know you as well as CynCyn will be there and I really look forward to meeting you. What do you think about yesterday's posts about Jerusalem?

Hi and Thanks very much for your post. I'm glad to know you as well as CynCyn will be there and I really look forward to meeting you. What do you think about yesterday's posts about Jerusalem?

Hi! First, thanks to all for sharing your experiences that are extremely helpful because for me, they provide a range of activities and issues. After being sleeved, who feels like they are "starving" (regardless of stage of weight-loss)? What was your solution? What was the impact on weight loss? Thanks very much for your help.

Hi Everyone! Thanks very much for your replies. I'm very happy to hear that you've had good experiences and I do appreciate your good wishes. My wish is that everyone achieves everything they've ever dreamed. :thumbup:

Hi! I hope you're doing great! Thanks very much for your help. All of these are great things to put on my list. I'm taking only a small suitcase and a backpack for my lap top, so I hope I'll be o.k. for entertainment. All the best!

Hi Nancy, I'm so sorry to hear about your predicament and of course, about the stroke. I wish there was some way you could have all your problems solved. Would your sister be willing to check out this forum to read about how many people, who have been to Mexico, are doing so well? Perhaps this could be a way to get her, happily, on your side? I wonder if creating a balanced report on best case and worst case situations (from this website or others) and presenting it to your doctor for his approval might help get your family's full support? I'm doing this all on my own. I did tell one girlfriend who works in a Dr's office and she was ecstatic for me. She knows the struggles I've had with weight issues and she's very supportive about me doing whatever I need to do to help myself. While my entire family is overweight, none would consider doing this. They would say, "go on a diet". So, on the one hand, I'll be alone for the whole thing. On the other, I'll not have to worry about judgements regardless of how well (or not) the process has gone. This is not the time to have negativity around me -- this is the time for celebration and new beginnings! :smile1: I'll try to post as many times as I can before and after the surgery so you can get a good idea of what Dr Almanza's environment is like. If you think there is anything else I can do to help you, please let me know and if I can, I would be more than happy to do so. Until then, keep your fingers crossed for me! My plan is to take a bit of a walk around San Diego Seaworld before I return! xo Cheryl

Thanks very much for your replies! I've learned alot about what I should have to maximize comfort levels: 1. pre-op diet to detoxify, clean out digestive system and reduce glycogen in liver 2. heat source: heat pad and microwaveable heat wrap 3. gas-X 4. appropriate Spanish to ask for pain meds (Necesito la medicaci?n de dolor por favor) 5. warm, loose clothing 6. slippers 7. antiseptic spray and Purell-similar stuff 8. something to read or similar I'm going alone so it will be great to meet up with CynCyn! And, I have to stay in San Diego for 2 nights before I can get back to the Island. I think I'll be all right on my own for that time. Good luck to us that are going to have the surgery. And, I hope everyone has a joyful recovery.

Thanks for your reply. There were some other data implying that doctors used to use the pre-op diet to determine whether the patient would be a good candidate for WLS. If s/he could do the pre-op, then s/he would have a better chance of later on. I think this has pretty much been debunked by now. I wish everyone the very best with their pre-op diets. You're right! It's tough to do. But just think of how squeaky clean everything will be for surgery and recovery! Keep up the great work! All the very best to all

I'm a little confused about the pre-op diet. Everything I've read says that liver fat from non-alcoholic means (NASH) can and should only be reduced by losing weight very slowly, such as 1-2 pounds/week or 5-10% of body weight over a period of months and so as not to hurt the liver. If the pre-op is meant to empty the intestines and bowel, then I can see more of a relationship between the diet and ease of surgery. I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me where I can find studies on how rapid weight loss is positively correlated with a decrease in liver size for bariatric or any type of surgery. Thanks very much. I know there must be another side of the story but I can't find the data. Thanks again!

FONT="Georgia"]Hi, I go for VSG on January 23. I and my family and friends, for the most part, are "you need to pick yourself up by the bootstraps" people. So I did. The problem is that I have to do it so many times over. I have gained and lost more than 400 lbs in my life. When I thought I was at a good weight and especially a great physical fitness level (could squat 500 lbs + had no health issues), my doc said I was still obese. I could not do it alone. Since then, I've gained more than 100 pounds. My concern is about regaining the weight after surgery: "We know that 5 percent or maybe even more of these patients over time can regain weight," said Dr. Daniel Jones, director of the bariatric program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "A large part of that has to do with the fact that the factors that caused them to be overweight to begin with are still out there." (ABC News, 2008). There is much more information out there now. For instance, we now know that ghrelin is a great anti-maintenance culprit (i.e. see medical studies by googling "ghrelin and bariatric surgery". Even though most of the ghrelin producing part of the stomach is removed during VSG, some of the hormone producing cells still exist in my body. If I am not aware of these issues, I can't do much to change anything, which is one reason for my yo-yoing. So, although I don't know everything there is to know about VSG before the surgery, I do know that without VSG, I will most certainly be successful at only short-term diets. Now and after surgery, it is my goal to eat less and "do" less for ghrelin production. VSG itself, is one of those things. So for me, bariatric surgery is part of the "pull up your socks" belief -- I am doing everything I think I can to be so much better than I was and than I am now as far as my weight and its affect on my health and well being are concerned. On my other 'flaws', well, there ain't no surgery for them! Vive la difference![/font]

Hi, I go for VSG on January 23. I and my family and friends, for the most part, are "you need to pick yourself up by the bootstraps" people. So I did. The problem is that I have to do it so many times over. I have gained and lost more than 400 lbs in my life. When I thought I was at a good weight and especially a great physical fitness level (could squat 500 lbs + had no health issues), my doc said I was still obese. I could not do it alone. Since then, I've gained more than 100 pounds. My concern is about regaining the weight after surgery: "We know that 5 percent or maybe even more of these patients over time can regain weight," said Dr. Daniel Jones, director of the bariatric program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "A large part of that has to do with the fact that the factors that caused them to be overweight to begin with are still out there." (ABC News, 2008). There is much more information out there now. For instance, we now know that ghrelin is a great anti-maintenance culprit (i.e. see medical studies by googling "ghrelin and bariatric surgery". Even though most of the ghrelin producing part of the stomach is removed during VSG, some of the hormone producing cells still exist in my body. If I am not aware of these issues, I can't do much to change anything, which is one reason for my yo-yoing. So, although I don't know everything there is to know about VSG before the surgery, I do know that without VSG, I will most certainly be successful at only short-term diets. Now and after surgery, it is my goal to eat less and "do" less for ghrelin production. VSG itself, is one of those things. So for me, bariatric surgery is part of the "pull up your socks" belief -- I am doing everything I think I can to be so much better than I was and than I am now as far as my weight and its affect on my health and well being are concerned. On my other 'flaws', well, there ain't no surgery for them! Vive la difference!

Hi Nancy, Thanks for your reply. Actually, I've not thought about getting WLS as I thought I would "fail" with it as well. You see, this 5'3" frame has gained and lost more than 400 pounds in only 46 years. Also, I've had liposuctiion and a tummy tuck when I thought I was at my 'ideal' weight only to have gained back a 100 pounds. I'm now at almost the heaviest I've ever been and with borderline health issues. So, although my track record with cosmetic surgery and dieting with mega exercise is not great, I'm hoping to improve my record with VSG. The bottom line is that I love eating too much and I always eat until I am very full, regardless of how many calories I'm burning. Between September 2004 and April 2005, I lost 65 pounds by exercising (cardio + weights) 1 hour every morning, 5 days a week + dieting. And I was still 20 pounds overweight. From April 2005 to May 2006, I upped my exercise regimen to almost 2 hours, 6 days a week (at the time, I could squat more than 500 pounds, do 5-7 minutes of ab exercises, etc.). I was extremely proud of myself -- so much so that I wore bikinis in the Caribbean and Hawaii the spring of 2006. However, when I went in for my semi-annual physical, my BMI was measured and it was 29.5. My doc said I should think about getting more exercise and going on a diet. I was devastated. But, I wore my bikinis in the south of France and Italy that summer, anyway. Then, the person I was with said, "You are a great person! You just don't care...you wear what you want anyway"...I died a little more that day too. When I returned from Europe, I went back to the gym but became physically ill. My stomach was sore and I became nauseated. After 5 minutes, I left. I tried again a couple days later but with the same outcome. Finally, I stopped going all together. It made me sick to know that no matter how much I exercised and dieted, I'd never reach my ideal weight and I'd never be that little person who -- since she was 5 years old, was told she was fat (nickname: Cheryl the Barrel) -- has been dying to get out of that body. Now I am sick because I'm at the heaviest I've ever been and without having built up any muscle (if I wore a bikini now, it would look like two rubber bands on an egg! Even though I am very frightened of failing after the surgery, I am scared to death of not continuing to try. I believe the VSG will help me get where I want to go and keep me there! Is this false hope? Is the surgery a crutch, like so many non-supporters say? I don't know and I won't know until I've done it. Why am I taking the risk? I have to be re-motivated to be able to re-learn to take good care of myself so I don't overeat in both the short term and long term. Again, I believe VSG will help me do this. I chose Dr. Almanza because he was lowest cost without a waiting list. Yep! There it is -- I said it out loud. In my opinion, the old economic rule of the price:quality association in medicine no longer applies, 100% (see studies on laser eye surgery). You do not necessarily get better products or services just because they are priced higher. These days, too many businesses are too well practised in marketing and so, they perpetuate old beliefs. Yes, younger docs like Almanza have less experience than someone doing the surgery for 20 years. On the other hand, Almanza is building and building his reputation and if I'm right, he will not take short cuts that will jeopardize his career and earning potential so early on. Of course, this is a justification for my choice. If I find out differently, I will let you and others know. I'm on a self-imposed pre-op diet to ready my body for the surgery -- detoxifying with lots of greens. For the past 5 years, I have always had a Zone Perfect protein/nutrient bar for Breakfast along with coffee that has Silk (soy coffee whitener). Protein keeps me feeling full. In my years of dieting, I always seem to forget this when my carb cravings kick in. The sugar is mightier than the sword! So, I've also had apple crisp, too. But! I've been eating grapefruit and oranges as well. Will all this help? I don't know. Will it hurt? I don't think so. I'm worried about taking my meds post-op as the capsules are quite large. I've had the unfortunate experience of tasting the contents and well, I can say I never go for seconds of that! So, emptying the capsules and taking the stuff with Jello or juice will, in my head, be only a little bit of an improvement. So far, I've practised by taking one capsule at a time and 'soaking' it by swishing a little liquid in my mouth before swallowing. So far, so good. Well Nancy, that's my story. I hope I haven't bored you too much. Bestest, Cheryl

Thanks very much! And yes! having another option in addition to a heating pad is prudent -- I didn't think of the electrical so thanks! again. And yes, the new Jerusalem hospital as well as the new recovery house will have very little data but I was hoping I might find someone who could tell me more about them. All the best to you!

Hi! Thank you very much for your reply and for finding the list. I knew I had seen the list but forgot to print it or bookmark it and then, well, I couldn't find it again. All the best to you!

Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for your reply. As you can see, you're the only person who has. Unfortunately, getting people's experiences with this hospital gets drowned in other "issues". Yes! I did see Stoongal's comments that were very much appreciated. But, I thought there should be many more people who could provide personal experiences? Is it too hot? too cold? Is it noisy so that a person should bring ear plugs? I wonder if anyone takes anything to give to the nurses in lieu of tips, etc.? Thank you so much for your list! And of course! I wish you the very best with your surgery! All the best, Lauren... oxo Cheryl

Hi! I'm having surgery on Jan. 23! and would like to know what I'd likely expect at this site, please. Also, would you tell me what it was like at either of the group homes? -- my surgery is with Dr. Almanza. What do I need to pack for Mexico, please? Thanks so much.

Hi! I'm heading to Mexico for surgery January 23! and would appreciate your views on what is important to pack to perk up comfort levels. Someone was kind enough to provide her list but I can't locate the thread now -- please help. Thank you very much.

Hi Nancy, Thanks much for your reply and the great suggestions. I'll be sure to pack those. My doctor is Dr Almanza. I see he's done many successful surgeries so I think I'll be in good hands. The clinic seems to be very, very busy, so I hope I'll get enough post care attention. How are you doing? Cheryl

Hi and Happy New Year! I'm glad to see the Canadian Corner. I think I saw one person from Saskatchewan who went to Mexico for the surgery -- thanks for sharing that. Can anyone tell me what I should take with me to Mexico to be more comfortable? My surgery is scheduled for January 23/2010 and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be great to chat with you.